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LAX92FA130

1992-02-29 · SAN YSIDRO, California, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SDM

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S IMPROPER SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT TO CORRECT THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS RESULTING IN AN EXCESSIVE ANGLE OF ATTACK AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER AIRSPEED. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN.

Factual narrative

A CESSNA 150M COLLIDED WITH LEVEL TERRAIN AFTER EXPERIENCING AN IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE AIRPLANE HAD COMPLETED A TOUCH AND GO LANDING AND TAKEOFF. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE INITIAL CLIMB PHASE THE LOCAL CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO CHANGE THE LANDING RUNWAY. THE FLIGHT WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN RIGHT PROCEED SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT AND ENTER LEFT TRAFFIC TO LAND ON THE OPPOSITE RUNWAY. TOWER PERSONNEL OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE BETWEEN 200 - 300 FEET AGL WHEN IT ENTERED INTO A LEFT SPIN, DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED AND IMPACTED THE LEVEL TERRAIN NORTH OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. A PILOT WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE FIRST NOTICED THE AIRPLANE CLIMBING AT A UNUSUALLY NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE ABOUT 100 FT. AGL AND LEVEL OFF MOMENTARILY. ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER, AT ABOUT 150 FT. AGL, THE AIRPLANE AGAIN ENTERED INTO AN EXTREME NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, STALLED AND SPUN TO THE LEFT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_LAX92FA130.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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